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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: one_less who wrote (271471)	11/12/2009 5:06:50 PM
From: Hawkmoon	2 Recommendations Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

I think our exit strategy has to be based upon the creation of sustainable security in which the general population can feel relatively free to voice their opinions in safety, both publicly, as well as at the voting box. This is going to take time, no doubt. But Pakistan and Turkey, for many years were able to demonstrate a measure of democratic reform (however corrupt the regimes ultimately may have been). The key, IMO, is that a professional military must be encouraged that recognizes that it's primary task is not protecting the elected government, but the mechanism by which those governments are elected and replaced. It's just BS for people to assert that the average person, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, lack the desire to have a say in how they are governed. The biggest problem is teaching them to learn compromise and non-violent political opposition within that democratic framework protected by the professional military. It's a HUGE UNDERTAKING, but every journey begins with the first step. Besides, the alternative-the brainwashing and radicalization of millions of Muslims to wage militant Jihad- is hardly desirable. As for Obama, I think he's quickly learning that it's not as easy TO BE Commander in Chief as it is to criticize the actions of the previous one. He sure hasn't been pushing for an immediate evacuation of Iraq based upon some premise that it's a failed mission. In fact, I was flying back from San Francisco yesterday and happened upon a couple of soldiers who were on leave, one from Diyala province in Iraq, and the other was based on the Afghan-Pakistani border. The soldier based in Iraq talked about who quiet it was there in Baqubah. I told him when I was there, the entire Diyala province was serious "indian country" and we were just in the process of pacifying it. When Al Qaida was kicked out of Anbar province, they tried to assert themselves in Diyala and it was touch and go there for a few months. We suspected that Iranian support was being provided to the insurgents, given that provinces proximity to the Iranian border. The soldier on leave from Afghanistan definitely had it rougher. He told me there FOB was in a valley overlooked by hills and they were taking quite a bit of indirect fire, as well as recoiless rifle fire (direct). I could only question the choice of low-lying terrain for that FOB without our forces controlling the high ground within direct fire range. Smells like Dien Bien Phu to me, but we have significant firepower that we can bring to bear. But still seems like a questionable basing plan, especially so close to the border. He also mentioned that they were still seeing significant IED activity and EOD is not present in the immediate AO. That's a "no-go" IMO. EOD must be present to defuse of road-side bombs or the main supply route (MSR) will be cut off. Also, the MSR must be observed either by motion detectors and/or UAV patrols on a nightly basis in order to stop the insurgents from planting those bombs. Hawk